A tale of two fish

What happens when society teaches its young people that
atheism is ‘science’?

Published: 26 September 2013 (GMT+10)

What in the world is going on?

When travelling and presenting at churches, CMI speakers explain why the creation
issue is so important for Christians. They often present information about
the loss of young people from churches and their belief in moral relativism.
Many times, older congregants seem dumbfounded by the loss of morality and
Christian ethics in western society. Confronted with statistics such as two
thirds (more in many cases) of our ‘churched’ young people falling
away, many seem flabbergasted at the extent and rapidity of our cultures abandonment
of Christianity.

Some of the older people know this only too well, as their own children are
examples. Some entered University and returned home to their parents as atheists,
bitter and hostile to their once-professed faith. Speakers often see parents ‘tearing
up’ as they recount their own stories of experiencing first hand the
reality of what was explained in the talk. It is as if some unseen yet unimaginably
powerful force has turned the table on the church and its influence.

Many of these parents want to do something, at least for the next generation,
and equip themselves of our resources, a vital part of our ministry (see Linking
and feeding). Sadly, there are others who refuse to admit their own shortcomings,
and claim it was not lack of biblical equipping but ‘sin’. Frankly,
this is like saying that a plane crashed not because of pilot error or mechanical
failure, but because of gravity. While this is technically true, it’s
also a cop-out. Gravity is universal, yet most planes don’t
crash, so we look for reasons why the particular plane crashed. Sin is likewise
universal.

Societies do not move in certain directions
uninfluenced by ideas. Thoughts have consequences and the grander the idea
the more powerful the result.

How did we get here?

Societies do not move in certain directions uninfluenced by ideas. Thoughts
have consequences and the grander the idea the more powerful the result.

Law, morality, ethics, science, and history etc were influenced by the Bible’s
overarching storyline to understand the past, live in the present, and await
the future of human existence. Within the last one hundred years, a radical
shift has taken place in all of these areas. What could have accomplished such
a profound change?

A new view

Years ago a new grand explanation was introduced under the guise of ‘science’ that
changed everything. The concept was that matter (given enough time) contained
within it the inherent ability to transform into everything that is and has
ever been. Thus all the biodiversity of life on the planet came into being
through evolution, without reference to a creator. This explanation for everything
became part of the lesson plan in schools.

As more and more children were exposed, many of them accepting it as truth,
the culture began to change. As unobserved events like ‘millions of years’ and
Darwinian evolution were taught as the true history of our planet, people began
to see the Bible in a new light. It was no longer seen as real history and
therefore authoritative and grew less influential while the concept of naturalism—nature
is all that is—became increasingly more dominant. That concept has now
permeated into almost every aspect of western world consciousness, including
much of the church.

Something fishy

Although many Christians simply don’t ‘get it’, an obvious
clue to what has happened is literally under their very nose most times they
are out for a drive in their car. Often they will see the emblem of either
a ‘Christian fish’ or the ‘Darwin fish’ stuck to the
back of the vehicle in front of them, and many miss the significance of the
contrast in worldviews between the two. What are the people that put the Christian/Darwin
fish on their cars saying about what they believe?

Christian fish—I came from an all loving God.
Darwin fish—I came from pond scum!

One might be tempted to simply leave it at that. But thinking a little deeper
we could also conclude;

Christian fish—I was created, someone owns me and I am responsible to this
owner.
Darwin fish—No one owns me and I am responsible to no one!

As atheist Jeremy Rifkin said:

We no longer feel ourselves to be guests in someone else’s
home and therefore obliged to make our behavior conform with a set of pre-existing
cosmic rules. It is our creation now. We make the rules. We establish the parameters
of reality. We create the world, and because we do, we no longer have to justify
our behavior, for we are now the architects of the universe. We are responsible
to nothing outside ourselves, for we are the kingdom, the power, and the glory
for ever and ever.1

The natural consequence of the teaching of evolution is atheism, as it fulfils
the requirements of what
all atheists believe (there is no creator, everything made itself over
millions of years). So although atheists claim they removed ‘religion’ from
the government schools, they removed only Christianity and replaced it with
the religion of evolutionary humanism. However, if that is true then the idea
of absolute morality is destroyed and a society based on that principle will
reflect such thinking. Examples?

Sanctity of life?

Nazi Germany has stood for some seventy years now as a symbol of utter barbarism
in a supposedly civilized nation. The death camp ideology boiled down to a
simple concept; survival of the fittest. If one individual/group is stronger
than another then the weaker are at their (so-called) mercy. It stands in stark
contrast to Jesus’ teaching about loving your neighbour, praying for
your enemies and caring for the needy.

But which ideology (Darwinism or Christianity) is reflected in the laws and
actions of our modern so called civilized society? For example, induced abortion
has killed millions of unborn babies. Its advocates are often dishonest about
what they are doing, and claim that it’s just a ‘clump of cells,
or infamously
claim that the question of when human life begins is “above my pay
grade”. However, abortion lover Mary Williams calls them out on their
dishonesty:

When we on the pro-choice side get cagey around the life question,
it makes us illogically contradictory. I have friends who have referred to
their abortions in terms of “scraping out a bunch of cells” and
then a few years later were exultant over the pregnancies that they unhesitatingly
described in terms of “the baby” and “this kid.” 2

However she doesn’t care. She continues:

So what if abortion ends a life? … a fetus can be a human
life without having the same rights as the woman in whose body it resides.
She’s the boss. Her life and what is right for her circumstances and
her health should automatically trump the rights of the non-autonomous entity
inside of her. Always.

If that were not clear enough, the following should show her disregard for
what she admits is human life:

I believe that life starts at conception … I never wavered
for a moment in the belief that I was carrying a human life inside of me. I
believe that’s what a fetus is: a human life. And that doesn’t
make me one iota less solidly pro-choice.

All life is not equal … If by some random fluke I learned today I was pregnant,
you bet your ___ I’d have an abortion. I’d have the World’s
Greatest Abortion … I would put the life of a mother over the life of a
fetus every single time—even if I still need to acknowledge my conviction
that the fetus is indeed a life. A life worth sacrificing.

There you have it. All human life is not ‘equal’ and those in
power can exercise their ‘right’ to kill those they see fit. It’s
certainly notable that all pro-abortionists have already been born. Some may
say this is just one persons opinion and does not reflect society in general
but the cold hard facts are that it does! Mary has the law on her side in most
western world societies! There is a holocaust going on all around us—a
silent holocaust and it is sanctioned by the ‘laws of the land’ all
over the world.

So where are we headed?

A good indicator of where a society will be 20 years from now is to take a
look at what its educators are teaching today. As students absorb
the information and adopt it into their worldview, then start living their
lives accordingly, society will reflect the beliefs of its citizens more profoundly.
And what have top level, ‘ethicists’ been teaching this next generation?

Killing a disabled infant is not morally equivalent to killing a
person. Very often it is not wrong at all.3

This from the professor of bio-ethics at Princeton University. This man has
advocated a 28-day time period for parents to decide whether they kill their
child. And he is not alone in his thinking about killing children after as
well as before birth. Another bio-ethicist put it this way:

I don’t think infanticide is always unjustifiable. I don’t
think it is plausible to think that there is any moral change that occurs during
the journey down the birth canal.4

And last year the Journal of Medical Ethics had an article titled “After-birth
abortion: why should the baby live?” which stated:

Abortion is largely accepted even for reasons that do not have anything
to do with the fetus’ health. By showing that (1) both fetuses and newborns
do not have the same moral status as actual persons, (2) the fact that both
are potential persons is morally irrelevant and (3) adoption is not always
in the best interest of actual people, the authors argue that what we call ‘after-birth
abortion’ (killing a newborn) should be permissible in all the cases
where abortion is, including cases where the newborn is not disabled.5

Just so we haven’t missed it, what is the
atheistic message here? Life is not sacred and those in power (the stronger)
get to decide what lives are unworthy (the weaker).

Just so we haven’t missed
it, what is the atheistic message here? Life is not sacred and those in power (the
stronger) get to decide what lives are unworthy (the weaker). Whether
in the womb, out of the womb, disabled or not, babies should be able to be
disposed of legally.

But where will it stop? Where is the line in the sand? Is it twenty eight
days, three months, two years? The chilling reality is that once you accept
a non-absolute moral system there is no line. Of course the discerning person
can quickly see that if all it takes to determine a life is unworthy is to
re-classify them (a life worth sacrificing) then virtually anyone could be
deemed disposable.

Back to the future

Does this sound familiar? What is the difference between these ideas and the
barbaric laws of ancient Rome where infanticide was rampant or the brutality
of Nazi Germany where the ruling class decided who lived and died?

With no moral law except the state’s to appeal to, if you can convince
enough people to think the same way as you then they can enforce laws that
will support anything! And what about those who object? Perhaps Hitler said
it best:

When an opponent declares, ‘I will not come over to your side’,
I calmly say, ‘your child belongs to us already … What are you?
You will pass on. Your descendants, however, now stand in the new camp. In
a short time they will know nothing but this new
community.6

A brave new world

So the key in winning the battle of the mind is the ability to control the
conduit of information that is fed into the next generation. Here in my home
country of Canada, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) has implemented
a mandatory pro gay and transgender curriculum in its schools. Under the guise
as an ‘anti-homophobia’ and ‘equal rights’ campaign,
it forces all children under its jurisdiction into a propaganda and indoctrination
system unlike any yet seen in the western world.

And what rights do parents and teachers have? None! Teachers must teach the
program, no matter what their personal beliefs are. And parents are not able
to opt their kids out of the program—not even their kindergarteners–for
fear of retaliation from the government. In the TDSB ‘Challenging
Homophobia and Heterosexism: A K-12 Curriculum Resource Guide’ we
read:

Should Schools Send Notes Or Permission Slips Home Before
Starting any Classroom Work On LGBTQ Issues? No. If a school treats the topic of sexual orientation
or anti-homophobia work differently from the range of other curriculum topics,
this could be construed as discriminatory practice.

Can A Parent Have Their Child Accommodated Out Of Human
Rights Education Based On Religious Grounds? No. ‘Religious accommodation’ in the TDSB is carried
out in the larger context of the secular education system.

Can Teachers Seek Accommodation From Teaching Materials
That May Contradict Their Religious Beliefs? No. The TDSB is part of the secular public education
system.7

An example of the shocking material contained in the curriculum is where the
grade three curriculum teachers are told to “Encourage girls and boys
to role-play opposite roles, or to role-play animals or objects, or even
parts of nature. … At times boys may play girls and rely on sexist
stereotypical behaviour with which they are familiar.”8

What is the message? Any kind of sexual activity is fine. It’s ‘normal’ because
that is just the way you were born (evolved). No one should judge anyone’s
behavior, which means there is no absolute right and wrong (except evidently
that judging is absolutely wrong; logical
inconsistencies don’t bother atheopaths).

The brakes are off

It is time for believers to understand that the religion of humanism is firmly
established in our society, and that it is founded on a bedrock of evolutionary
teaching that is force-fed to our young people. The majority of those young
people convert to the ‘other team’, therefore influencing more people
with humanistic beliefs. Many of them are more than happy to peel off their
Christian fish and slap a Darwin fish onto the back of their car to announce
their apostasy.

What to do

Scripture says “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea
4:6). To help turn the tide around in our churches and communities, one of
the things people need is the right information. That is why CMI exists, and
produces faith building and God affirming information for the body of Christ
to take advantage of. As believers understand and utilize the information themselves
and then use it to share the Gospel with others we trust the Lord will use
it mightily for His kingdom.

Derek C. wrote: “This is an awesome website. As a Christian who’s finally just turning my life over to God (for good), I needed somewhere to look for answers when I had no one to ask.” Help keep the ‘awesome’ going! Support this site

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Readers’ comments

don H.,Australia, 26 September 2013

Tragically true. The message of the Bible is the only hope of preserving the freedom we so much appreciate. Thanks to CMI for faithfully making it available to the world.

murk P.,Canada, 26 September 2013

Astute

skillful handling of the light you have received - shining it on the contradictions of truth suppressors

I pray that those in power in Canada, who oppose themselves will be confronted and exposed by articles such as this, and thereby be constrained.

So that our great country will not slide to where no one wants to go

thank you

John H.,Australia, 26 September 2013

The "tale of two fish" is a clear statement on why theism and the Christian worldview are in crisis. And why evolutionary humanism has prevailed in cultures west and east. The Christian world has largely failed to discern that mainstream science now functions on philosophical naturalism and godless materialism - atheism. With God specifically excluded by definition. Such that science is fully engaged in the quest for godless "Theory of Everything". In belief that science alone can define ALL REALITY by natural causes and material processes alone. Another name for this belief is "scientism". Thus, when Christians proclaim that they embrace evolution and "all of science, plus Jesus", they have in fact embraced a worldview founded on atheism and scientism. Where Jesus, theistic evolution, Christianity and God are neither wanted or tolerated. As such, the Christian world has largely accompanied atheists and humanists to its own funeral. Little wonder Christianity has been decimated and increasingly marginalized.

In regard to the work of CMI and like minded ministries, I would like to paraphrase the words of Winston Churchill: "Never in the field of human conflict have so many Christians owed so much to so few".

Dean Y.,South Africa, 26 September 2013

The selfish and mute pagan idol of old is now assumed in the body of the woman who aborts and modern pagans, like Jeremy Rifkin and Mary Williams, worship the aborter and ultimately themselves. "A life worth sacrificing." This is the current height of culture and sophistication in 2013? God have mercy on us!

John C.,United States, 26 September 2013

Dear Calvin, Normally I download articles from the daily e-mail service for later consumption, but 'A Tale of Two Fish' intrigued me right on the web-site. I have never read a more concise and, frankly, chilling account of the stakes in the philosophy debate between evolution and creation. Thank you for your careful, but plain, speech in this regard. May God grant that this message reaches the ears of our people before it is too late. God bless you!

Bradley H.,Australia, 4 October 2013

I believe that a society that embraces human sacrifice, in this case abortion, will ultimately fall.

Past cultures that practised human sacrifice are now long gone. Carthage, Rome and the Aztecs to name a few. God save us but especially save the unborn!

Max S.,Australia, 4 October 2013

The failure of the church to teach the creation message in its fullness is really an act of rebellion against God's sovereignty. No theological argument can ever excuse this.

Nate W.,United States, 4 October 2013

Excellent explanation of our essentially-religions antithesis which affects all of life! I might add that it is not only the job of CMI, it is the job of EVERY Christian (especially those who are parents and those who are church teachers) to teach the truth of God's word and contrast it with the false religious ideas around us. We all have a stake in this war of ideas! God bless you for upholding the banner of God's Word!

Gerry R.,United States, 4 October 2013

The atheist says: "All human life is not ‘equal’ and those in power can exercise their ‘right’ to kill those they see fit." You categorically disagree. Seems to me you're both wrong. All human life is NOT equal: there is less grief, for example, in a miscarriage at 3 months than in the loss of a 7-year old, or a wife of 20 years, or a parent; but that doesn't, of course, give one the right to "do as he sees fit" with lesser lives.

Calvin Smith responds

Gerry, you seem to be saying that depending on your 'feelings' towards the person that is killed that they can have less value (are less 'equal' than others).

Mothers and Fathers that have not had time to interact with their children may not have the same level of grief as ones that have spoken and played with them etc but that does not make them 'less equal'.

I hear about people dying every day on the news and because I do not have any personal attachment to them my heart is not hurt in the same way as if it had been someone close to me. That does not make them less equal or valuable. My feelings do not determine someones value, God determines their value. He is the Creator. The origin of something determines its meaning, its meaning determines its value and its value determines what you will do with it.

That is why if you see a child as created in the image of God it is precious and to be protected but if you see it as simply an evolved animal then "why not get rid of it?"

That is the difference between the atheistic and the Christian worldviews.

Cal Smith

Creation Ministries International

W. Wade S.,United States, 5 October 2013

I rarely encounter a form of atheism that is anything other than fashionable, ill-informed, or has given more than scant consideration to its own inescapable conclusions. Mr. Smith brilliantly brings those conclusions to the fore.

We inhabit an age in which the prevailing religion is a pseudo-scientific pagan mysticism. Its adherents encounter their god whenever they peer into the bathroom mirror; and the trendy greeting “namaste” means nothing more than “from me to you”.

We, as believers, are faced with two parallel challenges: to counter the pandemic evolutionary myth that misinforms secular society; and to educate those within the Body of Christ who are comfortable with it. This involves presenting scientific truth in a manner in which it can be received, in order to overcome a lifetime of long-age, particles-to-people indoctrination. “Knowledge is power”; and as a former “long-ager” myself, I can attest to how learning that the entire framework of scientific knowledge – from physics to biology to geology to astronomy – is moving into accord with Biblical truth, has strengthened both my faith and my witness. God Bless CMI for shining the light of truth.

Gerry R.,United States, 7 October 2013

In response to Cal's response above:

You obviously missed the point. I'm not arguing that feelings determine worth; I'm offering feelings as evidence of universally perceived worth. (There are evidences of other kinds as well; see, for example, Lev 27:1-7.) It is impossible to grieve for a blastocyst as one would grieve for a beloved 7-year-old because a blastocyst and a beloved 7-year-old are not equal in any meaningful sense of the word. If your house was on fire, would you move to save your 7-year-old first, or the blastocysts you have frozen in the basement? Why?

The reason I bring all this up is that failure to recognize universally felt (experienced, understood, believed) distinctions does not further the cause of Christ -- it merely makes one look closed-minded to those outside. I know it's easier to say that all life has equal value; but anyone can clearly see that simply isn't true.

Calvin Smith responds

Respectfully, no, you obviously missed the point. There is no such thing as a 'universally perceived worth' among humans as the abortionist I cited shows. Mary Williams obviously doesn't feel the same gut wrenching disgust and sorrow that I do over what she might call the 'World's Greatest Abortion'. And the fact that you and I disagree is another example of the fact that different people disagree about 'worth'.

But by saying that what I (or any other sinner) would do in any given situation determines the worth of something is humanistic thinking. (Not sure where the rather creepy example of 'the blastocysts you have frozen in the basement' came from either BTW). It is saying that man determines somethings worth.

But you and I do not determine the worth of anything, God does. We either agree with Him or we don't, but the only way to agree with Him is to agree with the revelation that He gives us in His word.

The cited passage in Leviticus is based on how much work the person could do and therefore how much they would be valued at for that purpose. Similarly to how someone may pay an employee much more if they are highly educated and able to accomplish more than for someone who can't read or write would be paid. But this example has nothing to do with their value as a person in the context we are speaking about (whether they are 'less worthy' of life).

Giving your opinion that does not agree with God's word is what does not further the cause of Christ. It makes the one saying it sound as if their opinion is more important than God's opinion, which simply isn't true.